How Ovarian Tissue Transplants Could Change Fertility

Many young women who have to undergo cancer treatment, which
could make them infertile, are opting to preserve their fertility
by removing and freezing ovarian tissue.

When they are in remission and want to try to have children,
doctors can implant the tissue into their abdomen and,
theoretically, it will start producing eggs from the immature
cells that produce reproductive hormones and turn into eggs.

This procedure has actually been successful with multiple cancer
patients, resulting in 22 births so far. It has been so
successful in fact, some doctors are suggesting the process could
be used on "normal" women — instead of just those who have lost
their fertility from cancer treatments.

Researchers suggest that ovary transplants could help extend the
fertility of young women, especially those who take time to work
on their careers before having children. These workaholic women
could put one of their babymakers on ice after a simple removal
surgery, and several years or even decades later, they could
recreate the fertility of their youth by inserting a couple of
strips of the defrosted tissue into their abdomens.

This would also delay menopause, the researchers suggest. Many of
the women who have had their ovarian tissue re-implanted after
achieving remission have started having regular periods again
and, basically, extended their fertile years.

"To cryopreserve the ovary is now something we can do very
easily," Dr. Theresa Woodruff, from Northwestern University, said in
a video from Myoncofertility.org. "We can remove the ovary
under a laproscopic technology that allows the surgery to occur
in under 20 minutes and that woman is able to go home in under
two hours."

Many other doctors still warn that the treatment is experimental
and fertility is not guaranteed. We also don't know what effect
extending fertility into old age would have on a woman.